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Volume2 Issue2
The Royal CanadianDental Corps:
HUMANITARIANAID&
DISASTERRELIEF
Canada’smilitarydental serviceshave lookedaftertheoralhealth
needsofCanada’stroops inbothWorldWars,Korea,Afghanistan,
andservedonmanyotherpeacemaking,peacekeeping,humanitarian
and forensicoperations. Inthe lead-uptothe100thanniversaryof
theRoyalCanadianDentalCorps(RCDC) inMay2015, thisarticle
istheeighth inaseriesthatwillbringto lightthehistoryoftheRCDC
overthe lastcentury,celebratingtheheritage,accomplishments
anddedicationofthedental servicespersonneloftheCanadian
ArmedForces.
Over the years, Canadianmilitarydental
personnel have fulfilled their dutiesduring
times of peace andwar, at home and
abroad. Beyondprovidingoral health
care toensure theoperational readiness
and rehabilitationof CanadianArmed
Forces (CAF) soldiers, sailors and aviators,
RCDCpersonnel have alsoplayed a role in
providing international humanitarian aid
anddisaster relief.
Canadianexpeditionarymissions often
occur in countries ravagedby years of
war, accompaniedby thedestruction
of infrastructure andbasic services like
health care. As a result, RCDCmembers
attached toCAF task forcesdeployedon
peacekeeping, peacemakingor combat
missions havebeen calledupon toprovide
care to the local civilianpopulation. This
responsibility, secondary to thedutyof
caring for CAF soldiers, can sometimesput
RCDCpersonnel at increasedpersonal risk.
In the former Yugoslavia, RCDCdental
teams visited remote villages, orphanages
andhospitals, whereoral health care
providers hadnot been for years. There,
they treated survivors of the conflict, the
often forgotten victims.
InSomalia, CaptainGlen Joyce, while
serving aboard theHMCSPRESERVER,
received theChief of theDefenceStaff
Commendation for travelling regularly into
Mogadishu toprovide care to the local
population and train local hospital staff.
InAfghanistan,MajorMikeKaiser received
theMeritorious ServiceMedal for his
implementationof numerouspartnership
and capacity-buildingprojects, whichwere
seen tohaveenhanced local oral health
care inKandahar.
Canadahasdeployedmilitary forces
to assistHaiti onnumerous occasions.
Following theearthquake inHaiti in2010,
adental teamdeployed toHaitiwith
members of 1CanadianFieldHospital
aspart ofOperationHESTIA. Thedental
teamprovidedurgent care to local civilian
victims of theearthquake and routine
care todeployedCAFmemberswhowere
providinghealth and infrastructure support
to the local population.
Since2006, RCDCpersonnel have
collaboratedwith theU.S. Navyon
humanitarian and civil assistancemissions.
Thesemissionsprovidemedical anddental
services tounderservicedpopulations in
theCaribbean-SouthAmericanbasin and
Indo-Pacific region, aspart of Exercise
ContinuingPromise andExercisePacific
Partnership respectively.
Whiledeployed aboard theUSSPEARL
HARBORonExercisePacificPartnership
2013,Major SophieToupinwas appointed
as the lead for themultinational dental
team, comprising45military and civilian
dental personnel from around theworld.
Her teamundertookdental operations at
seventeendifferent sites inSamoa, Tonga
and theRepublicofMarshall Islands.
N
ews and
E
vents
